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(TALKZIMBABWE) Zimbabwe does not have "blood diamonds": DeBeers

Zimbabwe does not have "blood diamonds": DeBeers
By: AFP-TZG reporters
Posted: Sunday, June 27, 2010 6:44 pm

A DIAMOND mining expert from the De Beers diamond mining family has made a rare admission that Zimbabwe's gems are not "blood diamonds".

This is despite attempts by the Kimberley Process "watchdog" to declare Zimbabwe's precious gems as such. Out of the 75 members of that group, only Australia, US, Canada and the EU, have blocked Zimbabwe's certification citing alleged and unproved claims that there are human rights violation in the country's diamond rich Marange fields.

"Right now in Zimbabwe, ... there is no overt conflict," Jonathan Oppenheimer, De Beers Group executive director, said at a Fortune|Time|CNN Global Forum being held this weekend in Cape Town, South Africa. He added that Zimbabwe has "a legitimate government".


Jonathan Oppenheimer

Mr Oppenheimer said the Kimberley Process is in a difficult position as it is trying to block the certification of a country that does not have blood diamonds.
"And so the Kimberley Process itself is in a very difficult position," he said. "It feels like it needs to act. The community wants it to act. We've seen a dialogue within the Kimberley Process system that is looking at ways to act."

The issue deadlocked a Kimberley meeting in Israel last week as western countries, who have imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, wish to tarnish the image of the country.

Talks are due to resume July 14-15 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The talks will only involve a specialist group of the Kimberley Process.

Zimbabwe diamonds do not fit the definition of "blood diamonds", that is, rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.

DeBeers Looted Zim Diamonds

Earlier this year, President Mugabe has accussed DeBeers of looting Zimbabwe diamonds in the Marange district.

"(DeBeers) managed to hide from us information regarding the Chiadzwa diamonds for more than 15 years," said the president.

“DeBeers was telling us that they were just testing to evaluate whether they were diamonds or not, ivo vachitokumba madiamonds edu kuenda nawo kuSouth Africa (whilst looting those diamonds and taken them to South Africa).

"When we discovered what was happening, DeBeers ran away and ACR inherited the claims."

President Mugabe added that the sale of the precious gems will turnaround Zimbabwe's economy, and the proceeds from the sales of diamonds would be channeled into the mainstream economy to help improve the people's standard of living.

Labels: BLOOD DIAMONDS, DIAMONDS, JONATHAN OPPENHEIMER, KIMBERLEY PROCESS, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:23 PM